Why the love scene between Tamannah and Prabhas in Baahubali is not 'Rape'

There's a scene in SS Rajamouli's Baahubali that didn’t seem particularly thought-provoking at first glance, but has generated a lot of conversation of late. Shiva (Prabhas) chances upon a mask and gazing at its features, he imagines the mask fits the face of a beautiful woman. The vision is compelling enough for him to make an arduous journey up a waterfall and a mountain. When he finally finds his dream girl in flesh and blood, she's a much plainer version. Reality bites, even in the world of epic fantasies.
Let's look at Avanthika's (Tamannaah Bhatia) version of these events. Part of a guerrilla outfit, Avantika spends her days fighting, spying and (supposedly) ignoring details like her wardrobe and hairstyle. When Avanthika first encounters Shiva, she becomes aware that she isn’t just a warrior, but a woman who finds an equal and opposite side to her self – one that can’t help but be struck by the prettiness of the tattoo that Shiva painted on her hand while she was asleep. Does he tattoo her to mark her as his own? Perhaps. Is it his attempt at beautifying (and therefore, feminizing) her with sringaar? Absolutely.

Prabhas and Tamannaah in Baahubali.

Avanthika’s reaction – despite the prettiness of the tattoo – is anger. Her world and her sense of self are being unsettled, and she resists the change. But resistance doesn’t mean she wipes off the painted design. Neither is she outraged enough by her lurking makeover-inclined admirer to cut Shiva down to size when she finally meets him. Not just that, she lets him strip her and apply eco-friendly make-up, which includes everything from crushed berries to a dash of Shiva’s own blood. No pain, no gain, to quote an old adage.
While Shiva is wreaking this transformation upon Avanthika, her reactions are limited to parted lips and widened eyes that suggest she’s furious. It’s this expression that’s led to a debate about precisely what’s going on in this scene. Is this courtship ritual a disguised rape scene?
A couple of weeks ago, titled 'The Rape of Avanthika', went viral. The writer anna Vetticad and those subsequently discussing the article pointed out there is no consent from Avanthika and therefore, she was raped by Shiva. And there we were, lapping it up as romance.
The idea of “rape-y” lovers isn’t new to popular Indian cinema, both in Bollywood and its southern counterparts. But does this scene from Baahubali deserve the rape tag? Is Avanthika served by this interpretation or reduced by it? Because lest we forget, she is no damsel in distress.